Building with Next.js & Strapi

A headless CMS paired with a modern frontend framework is one of those combinations that just clicks — once you feel it, going back to coupled systems feels oddly claustrophobic.

Strapi gives you a clean admin panel where you write and manage content, while Next.js handles the presentation layer. The two talk through an API, which means your content is completely decoupled from how it's displayed.

Setting Up Strapi

Start with npx create-strapi-app@latest my-blog and follow the prompts. Within minutes you'll have a running admin panel at localhost:1337/admin. Create a Post collection type with fields for title, slug, content, category, and publishedAt.

Fetching in Next.js

In your Next.js App Router, use async server components to fetch posts at build time or on demand. Strapi exposes a clean REST endpoint at /api/posts. Pair it with Next.js revalidation and you have a blazing fast, content-managed blog.

The Result

The beauty of this setup is how approachable it remains as you grow. Need tags? Add a relation. Want a newsletter? Drop in a plugin. The architecture invites expansion without demanding it.